The present invention is generally related to the field of garment hangers, and specifically to a one-piece molded plastic collapsible garment hanger.
Garments are sometimes overly stretched and/or damaged as a result of being removed from and placed on rigid hangers in the conventional manner. In addition, the convenience of removing the hanger is impeded by its rigidity.
The stretching of a garment usually occurs because the distance between the hanger arms is greater than the opening of the neck of the garment. To prevent damage to some types of clothing, hangers must be separated from the garment by manipulating the hanger down through the bottom of the garment. In so doing, the hook element may damage the garment. If the garment is a button type, the necessary number of buttons must be undone before removal.
Because of the small necks of some garments, garment hanger manufacturers have attempted to compensate for this problem by making the arm-spans of hangers short enough to manipulate into the necks of most garments. However, the short spans of the hanger arms are inadequate to support the average garment shoulder width.
Certain collapsible garment hangers have been introduced to remedy the deficiencies of rigid garment hangers. In one such device, the hanger has two arms that fold downward after a locking member is released. It also latches with a locking mechanism in the folded position. However, in this design, the release mechanisms need to be manually activated (say with a second hand) in order to release the hanger in either of its locked positions.
In another collapsible garment hanger device, the hanger has hinged elements molded into the mechanism that allow movement so as to latch the hanger in the up position. Application of a force on the center locking components of this device act to release the lock and allow the hanger arms to fold downward. However, in the collapsed position the arms extend outward at an angle of perhaps 40 degrees on either side, restricting its use to large necked garments. In addition, the release mechanism of this device must also be manually activated to release the hanger arms.
In yet another existing collapsible garment hanger device, the hanger has molded hinges and a spring element that allows the arms to latch in the up position. However, like the previous two device described above, a force must be applied to the locking spring element in order to unlatch it. Further, positive actions are required by the user to move the arms from one position to the other. Generally, two hands (or two sequential actions of one hand) are needed to hold and activate the release, and to allow movement to the second latched position.
In still another existing collapsible garment hanger device, the device takes the form of a three-member latching hanger with three separately assembled hinges. A positive squeezing action is needed to unlock the hinge locking mechanism. However, the squeezing force required to release the hanger is significantly larger than the weight of the garment. An alternative version of this design allows for heavier garments by included a fourth, sliding member to latch one of the hinges. However, in this alternate version, manual operation of the sliding member is needed as an additional step in collapsing the hanger.
The present invention is directed toward a garment hanger that allows the arms of the hanger to be collapsed. This allows garments, and especially small-necked garments such as shirts, blouses and dresses, to be removed from, and placed onto the hanger, with relative ease and without stretch or hook damage. In general, the present collapsible garment hanger is a one-piece molded structure that includes a hook, two arms, at least one spring element, and in some versions, a base. The spring element or elements allow the hanger to be collapsed with one hand and without manual release of some type of locking mechanism, unlike most existing designs. Essentially, the spring or springs provide a positive force that maintains the arms at a desired angle in an extended position for a wide variety of garment weights. In addition, the spring or springs are configured so as to minimize the force required to collapse the hanger and to hold the hanger arms in the collapsed position. Specifically, the spring or springs can be configured to limit the maximum force required to collapse the hanger to be just beyond that of the maximum garment weight intended for the hanger, thereby resolving one of the drawbacks of some existing collapsible garment hangers. It is also noted that the collapsed position of the arms is such that the hanger will easily fit through the neck opening of most any garment being hung with the present hanger. Further, the spring or springs are configured to provide a small restoring force, thus allowing the hanger arms to spring back from the collapsed position when the collapsing force exerted by the user is removed. However, unlike some of the existing designs described previously, the arms do not lock when the hanger arms are collapsed, and so no manual release is required to return the arms to their extended position.
In one version of a collapsible garment hanger according to the present invention, a single spring element is employed that provides for a single-pivot spring action. Specifically, the hanger includes a hook element, which typically resembles the hook portion of any standard clothes hanger. There are also two supporting arms which act to support the garment being hung. These supporting arms are connected pivotally at one end by a hinge. A spring element extends at its midpoint from said hook element with one end terminating at one of the arms and the second end terminating at the other arm. The spring element is connected at its ends to the respective supporting arms by hinges. The spring element imparts a small upwardly-directed bias force to the supporting arms, which keeps them in the aforementioned outwardly extended position. In addition, when a downward force is applied by a user to the supporting arms that just exceeds the biasing force, the supporting arms rotate about their common hinge into the aforementioned collapsed position. As the supporting arms move into the collapsed position, the spring element elastically stretches, thereby creating an upward force that will return the arms to their extended position when the user-applied downward force is removed.
Multiple spring elements can also be employed in a nested pattern. This configuration allows the weight-bearing capacity of the hanger to be distributed among the multiple springs, thereby allowing each spring to be of smaller size than if just one spring were employed. Structurally, the multiple spring version would include at least one additional spring element, each of which is attached via hinges at their ends to the respective supporting arms, just as in the case of the primary spring. Each additional spring would extend between its ends within the boundary created the inward-facing surface of the next adjacent, outwardly-positioned spring element, thereby forming the aforementioned nested configuration.
The above-described multiple-spring hanger configuration could be further modified to allow customization of its weight handling capacity by the user. Essentially, this is accomplished by making the aforementioned additional spring elements of a removable type so the user can self-adjust the hanger collapsing force by adding or removing spring elements. For example, the locations on the supporting arms where the additional spring elements are attached could include a slot and the ends of the additional spring elements a nub that fits into and is secured within the slot. In this way the additional spring elements become push-in springs.
A color coding scheme can be implemented to differentiate the weight handling capacities of the collapsible garment hanger. For example, the color coding scheme as applied to a version of the hanger not employing removable spring elements involves making the entire hanger or a part thereof a prescribed color representing its weight handling capacity. As for a hanger according to the present invention that does employ the removable spring elements, a spring element (removable or not) is made a color which represents the incremental amount of weight the spring adds to the overall weight handling capacity of the hanger. In this way a user simply adds up the incremental weight handling capacities associated with each spring installed on the hanger to arrive at the overall capacity.
In an alternate version of a collapsible garment hanger according to the present invention, one or more pairs of spring elements are employed with a different one of the spring elements of each pair being used to control the movement of each supporting arm, thus providing a double-pivot spring action. This double-pivot spring action has the advantage of each pivotal range of motion required of a spring element to be half of that required in the single-pivot spring action version described previously. Specifically, one embodiment of this alternate version of the collapsible garment hanger includes a hook and base structure made up of a hook-shaped piece such as described previously that extends from approximately the center of a traversely oriented base. A first of two supporting arms is attached via a hinge to one distally located end the base, while the second supporting arm is hingedly attached to the distally located end of the base opposite the attachment point of the first arm with the base. A first spring element is attached at a first end via a hinge to a point on the upper surface of the base between the hook-shaped piece and the attachment point of the first supporting arm to the base. The first spring element is attached at its other end to the first supporting arm, again via a hinge. Similarly, a second spring element is hingedly attached to a point on the upper surface of the base between the hook-shaped piece and the attachment point of the second supporting arm to the base at its first end and to the second supporting arm at its second end. These spring elements represent a spring pair as discussed previously. The first and second spring elements impart an upwardly directed bias force to the supporting arms so as to respectively keep them in the outwardly extended position. When a downward force is applied to the supporting arms by a user, which at least exceeds the biasing force, the supporting arms rotate about their respective hinged attachments with the base into the collapsed position. In addition, the spring elements stretch elastically creating an upward force which returns the arms to their extended position when the user-applied downward force is removed.
In yet another version of the present invention, the collapsible garment hanger is configured similar to the just described version, except that the spring elements are attached underneath the hanger as follows. The first spring element is attached via a hinge at a first end to a point on a lower surface of the base opposite the surface from which the hook-shaped piece extends, and at a second end via a hinge to the first supporting arm such that the first spring element straddles the attachment point of the first supporting arm to the base. Similarly, the second spring element of the pair is attached via a hinge at a first end to a point on a lower surface of the base opposite the surface from which the hook-shaped piece extends and at a second end to the second supporting arm such that the second spring element straddles the attachment point of the second supporting arm to the base.
The foregoing spring-pair versions of the collapsible garment hanger can also be configured to include the previously described multiple spring feature, which in this case would involve one or more additional spring pairs. Specifically, at least one additional pair of spring elements is added. In the case where the spring elements are attached above the base, each spring element of each pair is hingedly attached at one end on opposite sides of the hook-shaped piece to a point on the upper surface of the base between the hook shaped piece and the attachment point of the adjacent supporting arm, and to the adjacent supporting arm at a second end. In the case where the spring elements are attached below the base, each spring is hingedly attached at a first end to a point on a lower surface of the base opposite the surface from which the hook-shaped piece extends and at a second end to the adjacent supporting arm.
Further, the spring elements disposed on the same side of the hook-shaped piece are attached to the base and adjacent supporting arm so as to form a nested configuration. In this configuration each additional pair of spring elements imparts an additional upwardly directed bias force to the supporting arms. In addition, whenever a user applies a downward force to the supporting arms that at least exceeds the combined bias force exerted by each pair of springs, the supporting arms rotate about their hinged attachment with the base into the collapsed position. The spring elements stretch or compress elastically thereby creating a combined upward force which returns the arms to their extended position when the downward force is removed.
The multiple spring-pair versions of the collapsible garment hanger can also be modified to incorporate the previously described removable spring feature. Specifically, each spring element is not only hingedly attached, but also releasable attached to the base and adjacent supporting arm. Thus, pairs of spring elements can be installed or removed to control the magnitude of the bias force and the upward force.
The previously described color coding scheme can also be implemented in the multiple spring-pair versions of the present invention. In the case where the spring elements are removable, pairs of spring elements exhibiting the same weight capacity indicating color would preferably be added or removed as a pair from the hanger.
Another feature applicable to the multiple spring-pair versions of the collapsible garment hanger involves the use of stops referred to as pre-load stops. These stops are used to position the supporting arms in relation to the springs to impart the aforementioned bias force when the arms are in their extended position-thus the name pre-load stops. In addition, the stops can be used to create a desired angle between the supporting arms and the base when in the extended position to accommodate the sloping taper associated with most garments hung on a hanger. Generally, the stop feature is implemented by initially molding the supporting arms to attain an xe2x80x9cat restxe2x80x9d angle higher than that desired angle intended for hanging garments. Prior to use, the supporting arms are pulled downward and the stops installed into the base at the support arm hinges. The stops restrict further upward motion of the arms to the desired angle while also providing a bias force on the arms that equals or exceeds that of the desired garment weight. Specifically, a pair of stops is employed. Each of these stops is connected to the base adjacent the hinged attachment between the base and a respective one of the supporting arms. The stops contact the supporting arms so as to interfere with their upward movement under the influence of the aforementioned upward force, thereby setting the angle of the supporting arms in relation to the base and the magnitude of the bias force. The stops can be integrally molded and fixed or removable by creating a releasable connection between the stops and the base. For example, removable stops could be configured so as to snap into a receptacle in the base. Further, the stops can be integrally molded and releasable. Specifically, each stop would be molded so as to be hingedly attached via a hinge to the base adjacent the hinged attachment between the base and the adjacent supporting arm. The stops would be folded down by rotating them about their hinge and snapped into place in the base. These stops then contact the supporting arms so as to interfere with their upward movement under the influence of the upward force supplied by the spring elements, thereby setting the angle of the supporting arms in relation to the base and the magnitude of the bias force. To disengage the stops, they are folded up by rotating them about their hinge into a retracted position, which prevents them from contacting the supporting arms and interfering with their upward movement.
In addition to the just described benefits, other advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description which follows hereinafter when taken in conjunction with the drawing figures which accompany it.